OLIVE HILL — Vicious acts of violence against more than 100 endangered bats at Carter Caves State Resort Park have enraged state and federal wildlife officials.

The victims were a group of federally protected Indiana bats, which officials say vandals found hibernating in an undisclosed cave within the state park.

The vandals apparently used rocks to crush some of the small bats, while others died after being knocked into a stream. The first bat kill is believed to have happened between Oct. 21 and 24, and the second strike was reported Oct. 27.

Former park naturalist John Tierney said bat conservation efforts at the park have been extremely successful in recent years, most notably at Saltpetre Cave where the Indiana bat population went from “a handful” before the cave was sealed during hibernation season to an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 animals at last count.

Tierney said the recent killing is a sad occurrence, although not a new phenomenon.

“People have fears. There are historic incidents,” he said, adding, “People have seen too many vampire movies.”

Fish & Wildlife Resources spokesman Traci Hemberger said several youths were arrested during the 1960s for killing an estimated 10,000 Indiana bats at Carter Caves.

Jonathon Lewis of Olive Hill, who serves as president of the cave and wildlife conservation group Esso Grotto, said he recently saw pictures of many of the Indiana bats killed at Carter Caves during October.

“It was like seeing a little puppy — just defenseless,” Lewis said, explaining many people misunderstand bats and their importance in nature. “I had a whole mixture of emotions. The problem is past; you just have to figure out what you can learn from it.

“It’s a lack of education and the Hollywood image,” he continued. “Enforcing the law won’t do enough until we educate people about bats and what they do for us.”

Fellow Grotto member Allen Blair, who has followed the development of the Carter Caves Indiana bats as a journalist and as a cave explorer, said he was perhaps most shocked the bat killers took advantage of animals, “which were both defenseless and sleeping.”

Blair said the bat deaths are a setback to professionals and dedicated volunteers who have put many years of effort into the project to help Indiana bats thrive in the area.

“This could be a success story like the bald eagle,” he said.

Lewis and Blair agreed Indiana bats are a sensitive species which require specific conditions for hibernation and reproduction.

Indiana bats have been included on the federal endangered species list since 1966 and officials say their populations have been steadily declining until recent years. The caves at Carter Caves State Resort Park are home to the state’s largest hibernating population of the species.

Violations of the Endangered Species Act can result in a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and a year in prison. Anyone with information about the bat deaths at Carter Caves is asked to contact Special Agent Bob Snow of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (502) 582-5989 Ext. 29.

For more information about local bat conservation efforts visit www.essogrotto.com or www.batcon.org on the Internet.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.